Identity Conflict

  • Nigeria's Pernicious Drivers of Ethno-Religious Conflict

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    By Chris Kwaja. Africa Center for Strategic Studies, July 2011.

    Nigeria's long-running "indigene-settler" conflict in and around Jos, Plateau State has escalated in recent years and may spread to other ethnically mixed regions of the country, heightening instability. Navigating such inter-communal fault lines is a common challenge for many African societies that requires looking past symptoms to address systemic drivers. In Nigeria, this will entail measures that directly mitigate violence as well as realize constitutional reform.

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  • Preventing Identity Conflicts Leading to Genocide and Mass Killings

    3027873156_ccdc304475By I. William Zartman. International Peace Institute, November 2010.

    Mass killings do not break out unannounced, but rather are preceded by identity-based tensions stoked by political entrepreneurs to rally support for their narrow objectives and designs. The resulting spoils of such incitement can be subverted through sustained and early efforts to manage ethnic relations, protect minority rights, uphold accountable governance, and exercise the responsibility to protect. [PDF]

  • Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa

    By, Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, 2010. Despite high levels of religious diversity and adherence in many African countries, most African Christians and Muslims are unfamiliar with each other’s faith and believe they share few commonalities. In fact, concerns about religious conflict are modest compared with those of poverty, corruption, and other political and socioeconomic issues. [PDF]

  • Misinterpreting Ethnic Conflicts in Africa

    Demobilization_of_Burundian_MilitaryBy Fr. Clement Mweyang Aapenguo. Africa Center for Strategic Studies, 2010.

    Ethnic conflicts in Africa are often portrayed as having ages-old origins with little prospects for resolution. This article challenges that notion arguing that a re-diagnosis of the underlying drivers to ethnic violence can lead to more effective and sustainable responses.

    [PDF] English [PDF] French [PDF] Portuguese

  • Ethnocentrism and Communal Conflict in Africa

    Ethnocentrism and Communal Conflict in Africa. York Shaw-Taylor, Racism Review, 2009. Civil wars and communal conflict in Africa are often attributed to the strength and prevalence of ethnic identity over national or civic identity and its attendant affect on political and social allegiances. Yet a review of recent survey data in several African countries is unable to validate this popular proposition. [HTML]

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